Women's Fastbreak On SI

Alyssa Thomas Yanks Angel Reese's Jersey Out After Physical Screen

WNBA stars Angel Reese and Alyssa Thomas continued their history of physical play in an interesting way on Tuesday.
Grant Young|
May 27, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (5) shields the ball from Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas (25) in the first half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
May 27, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (5) shields the ball from Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas (25) in the first half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

WNBA star forwards Angel Reese and Alyssa Thomas have quite an interesting history with each other.

This started almost exactly one year ago, when Reese was still a rookie on the Chicago Sky and Thomas was playing for the Connecticut Sun. At one point in this May 25, 2024, Sky vs. Sun contest, Reese and Thomas were jockeying for position while going for a rebound.

Thomas then wrapped her arm around Reese's neck while she was in the air and thrust backwards, so that Reese's legs came out from under her and landed hard on the floor, with the brunt of the impact being straight on her back.

Thomas was ultimately ejected for this choke-slam and was criticized among fans for procuring a dirty play on Angel.

And the May 27, 2025, matchup between Reese and Thomas suggests that Angel did not forget about Thomas doing this.

At one point when the Sky were playing the Phoenix Mercury (who Thomas now plays for) on Tuesday, Thomas was playing defense when Reese came up to set a very physical screen on her. Reese seemed to put a little more shoulder than normal into the screen, which sent Thomas to the ground.

And while she was headed down, Thomas grabbed at Angel's jersey and yanked at it, as if in an attempt to bring Reese down to the ground with her.

Ultimately, Thomas was called for the foul, and Reese could be seen walking around the court with a smile on her face, as if to suggest that she had finally gotten her long-awaited revenge.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.

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